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Oak and alcohol go back a long way. Oak tanks and barrels were once the only thing used for fermenting and then transporting wine and other drinks. More latterly the use of sherry and then whisk(e)y barrels became a common way to infuse drinks in more complex ways. And now the age-old practice of barrel ageing has even been appropriated by mixologists, who use short-term ageing (of several weeks rather than months or years) to put a fresh spin on familiar cocktails.

But here’s the thing. These mixologists are ageing their product in barrels, whereas much of the wine industry now simply mimics the original process using wood chips and micro oxygenation. So why not do the same on a far smaller scale? Even better, why not massively accelerate the whole process?

Some things are lost, obviously. You can’t expect to do any actual maturation by converting tannins and acetic acid into more desirable elements. But drawing out some of the beneficial aspects of the hemicellulose (which, when toasted releases wood sugars that provide caramelised and smoky aromas and flavours), lactones (woodiness and a coconut element), and lignin (vanillin and further spicy smokiness) to add another layer is another matter.

The geniuses over at Cooking Issues discussed the concept of cavitation, using nothing more than a cream whipper and nitrous oxide cartridge, some time back now, and for a while the technique got everybody – especially those without access to an expensive sonic cavitation wand – pretty hot under the collar. Aside from a mention in Modernist Cuisine, there’s been less talk of this technique recently. But it remains a great way to draw flavours from porous things into liquids (we use it at Restaurant Allium for quick Sloe Gin, for example).

Remarkably it even works with wood.

I’ve got a couple of ideas for increasing the level of infusion even further, but for now try this. You’ll be surprised how well you can oak age something in a little over an hour.

1. If you’re lucky enough to have genuine barrel oak chips (previously used or otherwise) then you’re good to go. If not, fake the coopering process by toasting the chips in a dry pan. Different levels of toasting will emulate different types of barrel. Sherry barrels are lightly toasted, bourbon casks are usually set alight inside to create a layer of black char.

2. If you want to mimic the effects of ageing in a bourbon or other type of used barrel, then turn off the heat and ‘deglaze’ with a slug of your chosen beverage. Some will burn off, but the rest will be pulled into the dry wood chips. Leave the chips to cool, put them an open container and add more of your chosen alcohol. If you have a vacuum chamber then place the container inside, switch on the machine and then shut it down before the cycle ends. Leave for 20 minutes before completing the cycle. If not, just let ’em mingle for an hour or two. Drain the wood chips and either leave to dry naturally or place in a very low oven to speed things up.

3. Load the cooled wood chips and your chosen CHILLED drink into the cream whipper. It’s even worth doing this with water for the first test, just to get some idea of the strength of the infusion – more chips will mean a stronger brew. Fire two canisters into the whipper, shaking vigorously each time. Leave for another half hour.

4. Strain the contents of the cream whipper, through muslin or a superbag and enjoy. Or go mix yourself a nice cocktail.